Gluten Free Sloe Roasted Plum Muffins

Nutty, fruity and gluten-free.

These muffins came about during the storecupboard raiding of life in lockdown. We'd managed to get our hands on a bag of surplus plums from a neighbour last Autumn and frozen a batch - slicing in half, taking out the stones, laying out and freezing on a baking tray before bagging them up for longer-term freezing.

Chopping or blitzing whole almonds rather than using ground almonds give these moist muffins a little bite. The alcohol means they last a few days in an airtight tin and improve day by day.....if you can wait that long.

Whilst this is a gluten-free recipe, a straight swop of 75g plain flour will work.

This recipe makes enough for 8 large or 12 medium-sized muffins.

Ingredients

6 plums finely sliced

50ml Sloe Gin

125g unsalted butter (plus a little extra melted for greasing)

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

75g almonds finely chopped or blitzed in a processor

75g rice flour (or other gluten-free plain flour equivalent) 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

60g icing sugar

1tsp lemon juice

Method

1. Place the plums and Sloe Gin into a baking dish and roast at 160°C/140°F for 45mins 

2. Remove the plums and leave them to cool, turning the oven up to 180°C/160°F

3. Grease a muffin tray with a little melted butter

4. Beat the caster sugar and butter together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs

5. Stir in the sifted flour, salt and baking powder. Stir in the almonds

6. Drain the plums from their juices and stir 2/3rds into the mixture. Reserve the liquid and 1/3rd of the plums for later

7. Spoon the mixture in the muffin tin and bake for 20 mins or until the muffins are firm but spongy to the touch

8. Allow the cake to cool slightly before brushing with the reserved Sloe Gin liquid. Allow to completely cool

9. Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together and drizzle over the muffins. Arrange a few plum slices on top of each muffin

10. Enjoy!

For more inspiration on cooking with liqueurs, take a look at our recipes pages >>